New Zealand vs South Africa, New Zealand dominates Day 1 as centurions Williamson and Ravindra add an undefeated 219

Both Ken Williamson and Rachin , who suffered from inexperience and slowness, battled South Africa at various points in their remarkable careers and in different ways. South Africa’s eager lineup, which had previously plagued the home team at 39 runs for the loss of two wickets, was undermined by both batsmen, who didn’t let the hosts off the hook until the end of the first day. They formed an unbroken partnership of 219 runs for the third wicket.

After a shaky start, Williamson showed greater poise and patience, and Ravindra recorded his highest Test score with a six off the eleventh ball he faced. By the end of the session, both batsmen were hitting at nearly the same tempo, almost matching each other shot for shot and scoring three runs an over on average.

Tshepo Moreki, making his Test debut, made an immediate impression by dismissing Devon Conway for a single run in the game’s second over. This compelled Ravindra and Williamson to rescue New Zealand from a difficult situation. Moreki challenged Williamson with accurate bowling stats of 5-1-10-1, giving up just five runs off of fifteen deliveries and being out three times.

With an outside edge, Den Paterson also put the batsmen to the test by hitting Tom Latham for twenty runs. On the fifth ball, Ravindra drove towards cover point, almost catching Williamson off guard and preventing a potential run-out. The home team would have scored 44 runs for the cost of three wickets if Williamson had been removed.

With a six over long leg boundary, Ravindra made a more certain entrance into the Test arena. Three balls later, Moreki kept up his impressive form and almost had Ravindra out, but the catch was missed at second slip. With a score of 23, Ravindra was even luckier when he missed an inside edge, which increased his level of alertness.

The four disciplined fast bowlers from South Africa kept both teams conservatively bowling through the second session, managing just 60 runs in 27 overs. Under the leadership of captain Neil Brand, South Africa launched an attack using all of their fast bowlers and sent six rookies onto the pitch. Other than Ireland and Afghanistan, this was the first time since 1995 that a Test captain was not playing in his or her maiden Test match.

Batting circumstances improved as the ball grew older and the swing decreased. Williamson got off to a fast start, hitting Moreki for two magnificent boundaries in a row. Ravindra then got to work, smashing Peterson for a four-ball and a cover drive.

Williamson played the ball late to ensure it didn’t swing much, but Ravindra utilised forceful driving, cutting, and pulling strokes with soft hands. Williamson gave away his wicket at 45 runs, playing an unusual slog against Ruan de Swart, only minutes before tea, only to be caught at extra cover.

Williamson reached his half-century mark with a boundary in the next over, and Ravindra did the same following the interval. After tea, both batsmen scored more freely, averaging four runs per over from boundaries as Ravindra remained close to his partner. Dwaine Olivier was now moving at less than 125 km/h, and South Africa’s captain Neil Brand tried unsuccessfully to twist the ball with his left arm.

After taking a diving catch, Olivier was unable to stop a ball that Ravindra blasted over mid-wicket, taking him to his century at 80. Both batsmen for South Africa carried on attacking when they took the second new ball, smashing boundaries off straight drives. Whether in the long or medium term, Ravindra persisted in his pressure on Moreki, finishing the day undefeated at 118 runs, barely ten runs ahead of the previous captain.

South Africa vs New Zealand 258 for 2 (Ravindra 118*, Williamson 112*, Patterson 1-59).